Lifestyle
Joy In The Routine
I’m not sure when or how it happened, but I recently found myself in a quiet season. Following a busy and bustling summer of flip flops and sunscreen, the temperature began to drop, school started, and quickly I fell into my routine. I was surprised with how easily and comfortably my days regulated. And the days grew… quiet.
Suddenly the predictability worried me.
Reclaiming The Word "Fat"
A few days ago I got bored so, as any twenty-something, single woman does, I opened one of the dating apps on my phone. As I looked over some of my matches I decided to send a message to Aaron*, a guy I had exchanged a few messages with previously, but actually hadn’t talked to in a few months. I sent him a light-hearted, witty message about the length of time it had been since we had communicated. He responded shortly after:
“That’s not funny but the fact that you’re fat is.”
M&H Autumn Guide
Leaves determined to recalibrate their color, local cafes baking apple pies at assembly-line speed, and Ugg-boot donning teenage girls drowning in pumpkin spice, Autumn is just about here! Say hello to brisk weather, cozy Hallmark movies, and 4 hours of NFL-induced stress! With the closing of Labor Day weekend, school will be in session, Jack O' Lanterns will pop up on doorsteps, and pumpkin bread will become a new breakfast staple.
40 Questions For a Perfect First Date
Your brother knows a guy with a cousin that would be perfect for you. You add each other on Facebook, send a couple messages planning to meet, and choose a time and location. Sound familiar?
You leave work a little early to recurl your hair, spray another spritz of perfume, and regloss your lips. You mentally prepare with a little Britney playing on your Pandora, telling yourself it'll be no big deal.
Taming Anxiety
I had my first panic attack this last year. I didn’t know it was a panic attack at the time because this was something I had never experienced before. I was anxious about the situation I was in and felt my heart racing. I became dizzy, shaky, and it became hard to breathe. It was even scarier because I was driving on a highway in the middle of nowhere and had no cell reception where I was.
Luckily, after a rest, food, water, deep breathing and a lot of prayer, I made it safely to where I was going.
Pursuing Your Calling
We spend a lot of time thinking about and trying to figure out what we are "called" to do.
It can be a real source of anxiety, stress or pressure either to figure out what we are meant to be doing or figuring out how we are supposed to go about doing that thing. We see other people seemingly effortlessly gliding into their ministry spots while we may feel like we are fumbling around in a dark room.
You Are Enough - A Brief Encouragement
My friend, why do you get so distracted by all you are not or don't have? My friend, why are you trying to build your self-image from the opinions of others? My friend, why do you have so much fear of what others think? My friend, why do you let that person define your worth?
You are much more. You are enough.
Creating For Him
The sun in the sky, the petal of a flower, the toes of a newborn baby, the waves of the sea, the chirping of birds. The world is a magnificent place filled with beautiful creations that all point to God’s creativity. You would have to really work hard to argue that our God is not a creative God. It is displayed everywhere we look, including in you and me.
How To Be Intentional
Intentional (adj): done on purpose; deliberate; studied; meant.
I'm pretty intentional. Or, more accurately, I have been told that I am an extremely intentional person. By intentional, I mean when I come across someone I want to be friends with or want to learn from, I pursue that friend/mentor in a passionate and perseverant way. What can I say, I enjoy building bonds!
Your Future Awaits
What do you do when life isn’t going as planned? When the future is unsure, and you don’t know what is going to happen?
I’m a twenty-year-old college student who has absolutely no idea what I am going to do with my life. My future is filled with a hundred different paths that stretch out before me, and I don’t know which one to take. Which path is plausible? Which is good? And most importantly, which one is God-approved?